Automatic hosiery drier clamp closer



4 Oct. 4, 1932. H. F. WANAMAKER 1,880,547

AUTOMATIC -HOSIERY DRIER CLAMP CLOSER Filed March 10.. 1932 2 Shee s-Sheet 1 H FW kn 4 es i iq Oct. 4, 1932. WANAMAKER 1,880,547

AUTOMATIC HOSIERY DRIER CLAMP CLOSER Filed March 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFIC HARRY F. WANAMAKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To PROGTOR 82; SCHWARTZ, INCORPORATED, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA AUTOMATIC HOSIERY DRIER CLAMP CLOSER Application filed March 10, 1932. Serial No. 598,057.

acting elements that function to close the,

clamp, whereby inefiicient closing of the clamp, as caused by the rapidwear of the closing elements, is virtually eliminated.

The construction and operatlon of the mechanism forming the subj ect of the present a invention will be fully disclosed hereinafter,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of suflicient of a hosiery drier of the type noted to illustrate the operation of the mechanism of the present invention when applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the clamps in an open position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 44, Fig. 3, with the clamps in a closed position; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a detail of the invention.

' As disclosed in the above-mentioned prior patents, the stocking forms 1 are supported by carriers 2 which includebase blocks 3 that are slidably mounted in suitable tracks 4, 4, along which the carriers are propelled by suitable cams or other equivalent conveying means 5.

Pivoted at 6,6 to each carrier 2 adjacent the opposite sides of each form 1 is a clamp 7, which is adapted to open by gravity and to be closed by substantially vertical movement of an operating rod 10 that is slidably mounted in the carrier 2, the rod 10 having at its upper end a head 9 provided with vertical extensions 8 arranged in operation relative to the clamps 7, 7 to engage the said clamp elements beyond the pivots 6, 6 thereof, to close the said clamps and hold them in their closed position upon upward movement of the rod 10.

Prior to this invention the operating rod 10 has been arranged to engage an inclined cam on and fixed to the track 4 as the carriers were propelled along the track by the propelling elements 5. With such construction the lower cam-engaging end of the operating rod 10 rapidly became worn or wore a groove in the stationary actuating cam, and, due to a side thrust on the rod as caused by the end of the rod dragging over the fixed cam surface, the bearing for the rod 10 in' the carrier 2 rapidly became worn, causing a general looseness of the elements and the whole causing a consequent inefficient closing of the clamps. I

The present invention involves the use of a movable cam arranged to operate in a direction crossing the path of movement of the carrier and substantially at right angles to the direction of movement of the carrier as the'carrier moves along the supporting tracks, the movable cam being actuated, preferably, by engagement with and the movement of the carrier along the track, causing the cam to move in predetermined relation to the actuating rod so that the said rod will progressively climb the incline of the cam at the same time as the rod is moving with the carrier along the track, the arrangement being such that the plane of the cam surface is maintained more nearly at right angles to the axis of the actuating rod during the vertical movement of the rod as efieoted by the coordinate movement of the carrier and the cam.

The cam in the present instance is indicated at 11 and is pivoted adjacent the path of movement of the carriers, as at 12, to the upper side of the track 4, or to the underside of a plate 13 secured to the upper surface of the track 4, as by bolts 14, 14, the

plate 13 being spaced above the upper sur face of the track 4 by depending bosses 15, 15.

formed on the underside of the plate 13, or by equivalent spacing collars.

The cam element 11 in the present instances comprises a body portion 16 normally disposed substantially parallel to one portion 46 of the pathway defined by the track 4, the pivot 12 for the cam element 11 being disposed at one end of the said body portion 16. Extending substantially at right angles to and from the body portion 16 of the cam element 11 is an inclined portion 17 which also extends substantially at right angles to the portion 4:?) of the track and substantially parallel to a portion 4a whichintersects the portion 4?) of the track, as clearly illustrated in Fig.2. The cam elementll is also provided with an arm 18 extending sub stantially radially from the pivot 12 of the cam element 11 and substantially parallel to the inclined portion 17 of the cam element 11.

Eachof the form carriers 2 is provided with a neck 19, by which the carrier .is connected to the guide block 3 thereof- As the stocking forms merge from the drying chamber the guide blocks 3 thereof pass in the direction of the arrow a along the portion 4a ofthe track 4,- the neck 19 of the carrier passing into the opening formed between the legs 17 and 18 of the cam element 11 and substantially into contact with the inner side 18a of the leg 18 f the U-shaped cam element 11 as formed by the body portion 16 and the outwardly projecting substantially parallel arms or legs 17 and 18 thereof.

As the neck 19 of the carrier comes to the right angle intersection of, the portions 4a and 1b of the track 4, entering the U-shaped cam element and moving into contact with the arm 18 thereof, the lower end of the actuating rod comes to a position directly over the low portion at theouter end of the arm 17 of the cam element 11. The direction of the movement of the carrier and its block 3 is then changed from the direction of the arrow a, as ittravels along the portion 4a of the track 4, into the direction ofthe arrow 6, wherein the carrier travels along the portion 4?) of the track 4, substantially at right angles to its former movement along the portion 4aof the said track.

As the neck 19 of the carrier moves in the direction of the arrow 6 it maintains contact with the surface 18a of the arm 18 of the cam element 11 and causesthe cam element 11 to be swung about its pivot 12, consequently swinging the inclined arm portion 17 of the cam element 11 under and in contact with the lower end of the actuating rod 10, the shape of the cam element 11 beingsuch that the inclined portion 17 thereof continues to advance under the lower end of the actuating rod 10 as the carrier moves along the portion 4?) of the track 4, until the cam element in Fig. 2 to its broken line position shown in said figure, during which the lower end of the actuating rod 10 travels on the inclined cam 17 in a path substantially as illustrated at a; in Fig. 5 of the drawings,- from the low point 20 of the inclined cam surface 17 to a high point or surface 21 of the cam element 11, whereby the actuating rod 10 is moved upwardly and consequently swings the clamp element 7, 7 from the open position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig.- 4,wherein the clamps 7, 7 are closed tightly against the opposite sidesof the form 1 and locked in the closed position by the projections 8, 8 and the upper end of the rod 10, as noted above. Swinging of the cam element 11 about its pivot 12 in the manner above noted brings the neck-contacting surface 18a ofthe cam element 11 intoa plane substantially parallel to the line of movement of the neck 19 of the carrier, whereupon the said neck will move out of contact with the arm 18 of the cam 11, the lower end of the rod 10 at the same time riding off the edge 21a of the high portion 21 of the cam element 11, whereupon the cam element 11 swings in an opposite direction intoits normal position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, for reception of and cooperation with the next stocking form as its carrier moves along the portion 4a of the track 4 to the intersection thereof with the portion 46 of the track 4. r

. The return movement of the cam element 11 is effected by means of a spring 23, one

end of which is secured to a projection 24 de pending from the plate 13 while the opposite end of said spring is secured to the outer end of an-arm 25 formed on the cam element 11,-

any suitable form of stop being provided, such as a lug or extension 26 formed on and projecting downwardly from the lower face of the plate 13, to stop the cam element with the arms 17 and 18 thereof in position to re ceive the neck of the next stocking form carrier therebetween.

Operation of the mechanism as above noted eliminates the dragging of the lower end of the actuating rod of the inclined face of the cam, for-the reason that the said inclined face is movin relative to the lower end of the rod and in a direction across the path of movement of the said rod as the rod advances with the carries along the track, by which an easy vertical sliding-movement of the rod is effected relative to the carrier which produces a more efficient and easy closing of the clamps against the sides of the stocking form.

I claim: N

1. The combination of a stocking form, a carrier for said form, a support for said carrier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, and means for closing the clamp relative to the form including a cam movable coordinately with the car- 'rier as the carrier is advanced.

2. The combination of a stocking form, a carrier for said form, a support for said carrier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, and means for closing the clamp relative to the form including a cam movable coordinately with and with respect to the carrier as the carrier'is ad vanced.

3. The combination of a stocking form, a carrier for said form, a support for said carrier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, and means for closing the clamp relative to the form including a cam movable coordinately with and with respect to the carrier in a direction crossing the path of movement of the carrier as the carrier is advanced.

4. The combination of a stocking form, a carrier for said form, a. support for said carrier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, and means for closing the clamp relative to the form including a cam movable by and coordinately with the carrier as the carrier is advanced.

5. The combination of a stocking form, a carrier for said form, a support for said carrier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, and means for closing the clamp relative to the form including a cam movable by and coordinately with the carrier in a direction crossing the path of movement of the carrier as the carrier is advanced.

6. The combination of a stocking form, a carrier for said form, a support for said carrier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, and means for 010s ing the clamp relative to the form including a cam movable by and coordinately with and with respect to the carrier in a direction crossing the path of movement of the carrier as the carrier is advanced.

7 The combination of a stocking form, a carrier for said form, a support for said carrier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, means for closing the clamp relative to the form including a cam movable coordinately with the carrier as the carrier is advanced, and means operatively related to the clamp and arranged to be operatively engaged by the cam.

8. Th combination of a stocking form, a

carrier for said form, a support for said carrier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, means for closing the clamp relative to'the form including a cam movable coordinately with the carrier as the carrier is advanced, and a rod slidably mounted in the carrier and operatively related at its one end with the clamp and having its opposite end arranged to be operatively engaged by the cam.

9. The combination of a stocking form, a carrier for said form, a support for said carrier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold theopen end of a stocking to the form, a cam pivoted to the support adjacent the path of the carrier to be engaged and swung about its pivot by said carrier as the carrier moves along said path, and a rod slidably mountedin the car.-

rier with its one end in operative relation to the clamp and its opposite end arranged to be engaged by the cam for movement to close the clamp by the coordinated movements 01" the carrier and the cam.

10. The combination of a stocking form, a carrier for said form, a support for said carrier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, a rod slidably mounted in the carrier for movement in a substantially vertical direction with its upper end in cooperative relation to said clamp and its lower end adjacent said support, and a cam pivoted to the support adjacent the path of the carrier to be engaged and swung about its pivot in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the rod by said carrier as the carrier moves along said path to movesaid rod in said direction toclose the clamp.

11. The combination of a stocking form, a 7

carrier for said form, a support for said car rier, means for advancing the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, a rod slidably mounted in the carrier for movement in a substantially vertical direction with its upper end in cooperative relation to said clamp and its lower end adjacent said support, and a campivoted to the support adjacent the path of the carrier to be engaged and swung about its pivot in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the rod by said carrier as the carrier moves along said path, said cam having an inclined portion arranged to engage the lower end of the rod which is raised by the coordinated movements of the carrier and the cam whereby the said lower end of the rod travels in a substantially spiral path relative to the cam for closing the clamp.

12. The combination of a stocking form, a carrier for said form, asupport for said carrier, means for advancing'the carrier in a predetermined path on said support, a clamp on the carrier arranged to hold the open end of a stocking to the form, a rod slidably mounted in the carrier for movement in a substantially vertical direction with its upper end in cooperative relation to said clamp and its lower end adjacent said support, a cam pivoted to the support adjacent the path of the carrier to be engaged and swung about its pivot in a plane substantially at right angles to the aXis of the rod by said carrier 7 as the carrier moves along said path, said cam having an inclined portion arranged to engage the lower end of the rod which is raised by the coordinated movements of the carrier and the cam whereby the said lower end of the rod travels in a substantially spiral path relative to the cam for closing the clamp, and means for returning the cam to a normal position ready to be operated by a succeeding form carrier traveling said predetermined path on the support.

13. The combination of a substantially horizontal track including paths intersecting substantially at right angles to each other, a carrier mounted in said track for movement along said intersecting paths, a form on said carrier, a clamp on said carrier adjacent said form, a clamp operating rod mounted in said carrier for substantially vertical movement with respect thereto, a substantially U-shaped cam element disposed at the intersection of said paths in a normal position to receive-a portion of the carrier between the legs of said U-shaped cam element, with one of said legs v extending across and intercepting the path of the carrier and the other of said legs underlying the lower end of said rod, a cam surface on the last said leg of said cam element, and means for propelling the carrier along said intersecting paths whereby the said portion of the carrier engages the said intercepting leg of the cam element as the carrier moves along said path thereby swinging the cam about its pivot and raising the rod by the coordinated movements of the carrier and the cam.

14. The combination of a substantially horizontal track including paths intersecting substantially at right angles to each other, a carrier mounted in said traclrfor movement along said intersecting paths, a form on said carrier, a clamp on said carrier adjacent said form, a clamp operating rod mounted in said carrier for substantially vertical movement with respect thereto, a substantially U-shaped cam element disposed at the intersection of said paths in a normal position to receive a portion of the carrier between the legs of said U-shaped cam element, with one of said legs extending across and intercepting the 1 path of the carrier and the other of said legs underlying the lower end of said rod, a cam: surface on the last said leg of said cam element, means for propelling the carrier along said intersecting paths whereby the said portion of the carrier engages the said interceptelement. v

HARRY F. WANAMA'KER.

yen 

